Stopping mechanism for timepiece striking mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10732570-B2
Application number	US-201816020288-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2018
Priority date	Jul 25, 2017
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

Stopping mechanism for a striking mechanism comprising energy storage means including a power reserve transmission wheel set, a strike wheel set comprising a detent ratchet, a main click for the passing strike function and/or a repeater release click, the stopping mechanism includes an uncoupling lever for moving the clicks away from the strike wheel set, by an instantaneous jump of a lever changing the position of the uncoupling lever, when the level of energy of the storage means crosses a predefined threshold, through the cooperation between a finger, driven by the power reserve transmission wheel set, and a jumper returned by a first spring, to bring the finger to bear on a fork of the lever to cause it to pivot abruptly by instantaneously changing the position of a lug with respect to a second spring.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A stopping mechanism for a striking mechanism for a watch or timepiece comprising a movement, said striking mechanism and/or said movement comprising energy storage means arranged to power said striking mechanism to perform the striking functions, at an output of said energy storage means which comprise a power reserve transmission wheel set, said striking mechanism comprising at least one strike drive wheel set comprising a detent ratchet and a repeating rack pinion, a main click for the passing strike function and/or a click for releasing a minute repeater when said striking mechanism includes a minute repeater, wherein said stopping mechanism includes a strike uncoupling lever arranged to move away from said strike wheel set said main click and said minute repeater click when said striking mechanism includes a minute repeater, by an instantaneous jump of a repeating-slide control lever arranged to cause a change of position of said strike uncoupling lever, as soon as the level of available energy in said storage means crosses a predefined threshold, by the cooperation between, on the one hand, a stop finger indirectly driven by said power reserve transmission wheel set and, on the other hand, a stop jumper returned by a first spring, to bring a stop pin integral with said stop finger to bear on a fork comprised in said repeating-slide control lever, to cause an abrupt pivoting of said repeating-slide control lever by the instantaneous change of position of a lug comprised in said repeating-slide control lever with respect to a second spring.

2. The stopping mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said stopping mechanism is arranged to pivot a strike reversing lever, arranged to control the pivoting of said strike uncoupling lever, which is arranged to prevent access by said repeater click to said detent ratchet when the available energy is insufficient to complete a striking function, and to move said main click away from said detent ratchet when the available energy is insufficient to complete a striking function.

3. The stopping mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein said stopping mechanism includes said repeating-slide control lever, which includes, at a first end, said fork which is arranged to surround said stop pin, and, underneath said fork, said lug, which is arranged to cooperate with said second spring or with a jumper controlled by said second spring, which is arranged to give said repeating-slide control lever bistable behaviour, and said repeating-slide control lever includes, at a second opposite end, a control arm, and wherein said control arm is resting on a pin comprised in said strike reversing lever, which is in turn articulated, on a first side, with said strike uncoupling lever and which is articulated, on a second side, with an uncoupling lever, returned by an uncoupling spring, and arranged to cooperate with a pull-out piece cooperating with the winding and setting control stem.

4. The stopping mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein said uncoupling lever carries an indicator intended to indicate to the operator whether or not the striking functions are available.

5. The stopping mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said stopping mechanism includes a stop wheel, coaxial to said stop finger, and arranged to mesh with said power reserve transmission wheel set, which stop wheel includes an oblong hole, and wherein said stop finger includes said stop pin, which is movable in a limited manner inside said oblong hole, and a tip which is arranged to follow an edge of said stop jumper.

6. The stopping mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein said stopping mechanism includes said repeating-slide control lever, which includes, at a first end, said fork which is arranged to surround said stop pin, and, underneath said fork, said lug, which is arranged to cooperate with said second spring, or with a jumper controlled by said second spring, which is arranged to give said repeating-slide control lever bistable behaviour, and said repeating-slide control lever includes, at a second opposite end, a control arm.

7. The stopping mechanism according to claim 6 , wherein said second spring forms a repeating-slide control jumper and is arranged to force said fork of said repeating-slide control lever to rest on a detent pin, or on a banking wall, in each of the two positions that said repeating-slide control lever can occupy.

8. A striking mechanism for a watch or timepiece comprising a movement, said striking mechanism and/or said movement comprising energy storage means arranged to power said striking mechanism for the striking functions, at an output comprising a power reserve transmission wheel set, said striking mechanism comprising at least one strike drive wheel set comprising a detent ratchet and a repeating rack pinion, a main click for the passing strike function and/or a click for releasing a minute repeater when said striking mechanism includes a minute repeater, wherein said striking mechanism includes a stopping mechanism according to claim 1 .

9. A watch comprising a movement including an output for releasing a passing strike by the movement, said movement being arranged to drive at least one reference wheel set, and said watch including at least one said striking mechanism according to claim 8 .

10. A timepiece comprising a movement including an output for releasing a passing strike by the movement, said movement being arranged to drive at least one reference wheel set, and said timepiece including at least one said striking mechanism according to claim 8 .

Assignees

• Blancpain Sa

Inventors

• Peter Julien
• Capt Edmond

Classifications

• G04B23/12

  Alarm watches to be worn in pockets or on the wrist (giving signals by stimulating the skin G04B25/04) · CPC title

• G04B21/10

  Releasing or locking the regular stroke, e.g. for silence during the night · CPC title

• G04B9/02 Primary

  Devices controlled by such state, e.g. device affording protection means against overwinding (protecting means preventing overwinding arranged in or on the barrel G04B1/20; protecting means in connection with keys or the like G04B3/06; in connection with parts of the cases G04B3/10; in connection with automatic winding devices G04B5/24 {; electric winding up of mechanical clockworks G04C1/10}) · CPC title

• G04D3/0071

  for bearing components · CPC title

• G04B31/08

  Lubrication {(self-lubricated plastic bearings G04B31/016; lubrication of the escape wheel G04B15/14; lubrication of synchronous clockworks G04C15/009; lubrication devices and lubricant containers G04D5/00)} · CPC title